Ketamine Infusion Specialist

Apex Ketamine Therapy

Ketamine Infusion Specialist located in Glenwood Springs, CO

Ketamine has been used as a safe and effective anesthetic for more than 40 years, but did you know that scientists have recently discovered that small doses can have powerful therapeutic benefits in patients with mood and chronic pain conditions? At Apex Ketamine Therapy in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, ketamine infusion therapy is the team's specialty. When administered as part of a comprehensive approach, ketamine has been shown to dramatically improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidality, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, and more. For more information on this cuting-edge treatment, call Apex Ketamine Therapy or schedule an appointment online.

Ketamine Infusion Q & A

What is ketamine infusion therapy?

Ketamine is a unique anesthetic medication that has been used extensively to treat both humans and animals. Because it doesn’t lower your breathing rate or blood pressure once administered, it’s considered to be a safe anesthetic.

In recent years, medical experts have found that low-doses of ketamine can be very effective in treating certain mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It can also alleviate chronic pain and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) even if traditional therapies haven't worked for you.

How does ketamine infusion therapy work?

Medical experts are still discovering the various effects and mechanisms produced by ketamine infusion therapy. What’s known so far is that ketamine is different than other medications. It restores the function of certain brain receptors that have stopped working, it stimulates brain cells to create new nerve endings, and increases connections in a variety of pathways related to mood, memory and perception. Ketamine works on both AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptors.

The fact that glutamate is the body's most prominent neurotransmitter might explain why ketamine has a higher response rate than other medicines. Another key difference is that the effects of ketamine continue even after ketamine leaves the body. Ketamine produces changes in the brain that can last for weeks to months unlike other drugs that require specific levels to achieve desired results.

Ketamine has also been shown to change the frequency of brain waves during an infusion. Gamma waves are seen in experienced meditators while in a transcendental state. Ketamine has been found to induce the same brain wave pattern. Our understanding of this phenomenon, and its relation to the therapeutic benefits of ketamine, is still being studied, but we think it's a fascinating mechanism that may explain why so many patients say that the perceptual changes during an infusion were responsible for the beneficial effects of ketamine infusion therapy.

In short, ketamine resets receptors, restores function, and renews connections in the brain which can allow people to heal and make lasting improvements. The changes in perception during the infusion can help patients see things differently and re-frame circumstances in a way that relieves suffering. This aspect can be especially helpful for those dealing with suicidal ideation, severe depression, and chronic pain. Over time, repeated doses of ketamine are thought to reconfigure the way your brain processes pain, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and more.

A treatment for a mental health condition typically takes 45 minutes, while infusions for chronic pain can take longer. During this time you can relax with the wireless Bose® noise-canceling headphones while you recline in the Human Touch® Zero-Gravity chair that Apex Ketamine Therapy has installed in their state-of-the-art office.

What makes ketamine infusion therapy unique is that it targets your brain receptors and nerve-endings to dramatically improve your symptoms in a short period of time. For example, most antidepressants take approximately 4-6 weeks to start working—and that’s only if you respond well to that specific medication.

Meanwhile, the effects of ketamine infusion therapy can start working within hours of your very first treatment. The experts at Apex are trained to adjust the treatments to meet your specific needs depending on your condition and your specific response to the infusions. They always work with you to create the right plan for your needs.

Traditional medications aren’t right for everybody. If you’ve struggled to find an effective treatment for you, ask the experts at Apex Ketamine Therapy about ketamine infusion over the phone or online.